Obituaries for Sept. 28, 2011

By Baker City Herald September 28, 2011 05:41 pm

‘Tom’ Gately
Leslie Thomas “Tom” Gately, 75, died Sept. 21, 2011, at North Powder.
His military graveside memorial service will be at 1 p.m. Sunday at the North Powder Cemetery.
Tom was born on April 13, 1936, at Wichita, Kan., to Leo and Mary
Rohrbach Gately. He enlisted in the U.S. Army, retiring after 20 years
as a staff sergeant.
Tom worked for Senyoy for eight years as a courier and recently
retired. His hobbies were fishing and camping. He was a member of the
American Legion.
He owned his home and raised a great and loving family.
Tom was preceded in death by his mother, Mary Gately; stepfather, Gordon Gately; and his brother, Barton Gately.
Survivors include his wife of 51 years, Marion Rose Gately of North
Powder; sons, David Gately of Pendleton and Don Gately of North Powder;
five grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.
Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer Chapel is in charge of arrangements.

Theresa Reinecke
Theresa Ann Reinecke, 81, of Santa Cruz, Calif., a former Baker City
resident, died July 23, 2011 at Aegis of Aptos in Santa Cruz, Calif.
The rosary will be said at 10 a.m. Oct. 8 at St. Francis de Sales
Cathedral, First and Church streets. Mass of Resurrection will be
celebrated at 10:30 a.m. Father Julian Cassar will officiate. Urn
burial will be at Mount Hope Cemetery. A luncheon will be served to
family and friends afterward at St. Francis de Sales Parish Hall.
Theresa was born on June 5, 1930, to Raymond and Angela Brown at The
Dalles. She attended grade school at St. Patrick’s Parish in Walla
Walla, Wash. She was a 1948 graduate of St. Francis Academy at Baker
City.
Theresa attended Marylhurst Catholic College for Women and West Valley
College in Saratoga, Calif., majoring in home economics, art, textile
art and design.
She married R. Douglas Reinecke on Aug. 26, 1950, at St. Francis
Cathedral in Baker City. The couple moved to La Grande where Doug
completed college, then on to Wallowa where he taught school. They had
five children: Sherri, Damon, Shawn, Synthia and Suzanne. In 1959, the
family moved to San Jose, Calif., where they lived until returning home
to Baker City in 1986. Theresa moved to Santa Cruz, Calif., in August
2009 to be near family.
Theresa’s joy was her family, her love of friends, teaching sewing,
arts and crafts and cooking, her family said. After her family was
grown, she taught adult sewing and worked in fabric stores in
California. She also managed a clothing store and designed window
displays until retirement.
She was a member of St. Francis Cathedral, Altar Society Circle II,
Beta Theta Sorority, La Grande Chapter of E.S.A. for many years and St.
Elizabeth Hospital Auxiliary.
Survivors include her children, Sherri and Ron Enz of Granite Bay,
Calif., Damon and Pat Reinecke of San Jose, Calif., Shawn and Mike
Morse of Aptos, Calif., Synthia Reinecke of Santa Cruz, Calif., and
Suzanne Schooler of Moss Landing, Calif.; grandchildren, Ryan Enz, Eric
and Katie Reinecke, Amie Northrip, Joseph, Elizabeth and Robert
Schooler; sister, Betty Jo Kratz; niece, Anna Lisa Valentine; nephews,
David and Geoffory Kratz and their families.
She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband, Doug.
Memorial contributions may be made to St. Francis de Sales Elevator
Fund or St. Francis Altar Society through Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer
Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave., Baker City, OR 97814.

‘Bill’ Best
Lloyd “Bill” Best, 56, a former Baker City resident, died July 27, 2011, at Salt Lake City.
At his request, his uncles will scatter his cremated remains near the Powder River.
He was born on July 26, 1955, at Baker City to George and Arlee Nebeker
Best. He was the first grandchild of Ed and Merna Nebeker and Lloyd and
Edra Best. The family moved to Salt Lake City in 1963.
As a teenager, Bill spent many summers at his Grandmother Nebeker’s home at Baker City. He had many friends in the community.
He was preceded in death by his grandparents; his parents; and a younger brother, Danny Joe.
Survivors include his son, Patrick Best, daughter, Katie Best, and his
ex-wife, Sue Best, of Lancaster, Calif.; two uncles, Dale Nebeker of
Baker City and Devear Nebeker of Hood River; and many cousins and other
relatives.